Palms around Badulla

[doranakandawatta]

Rock hill Kovil (hindu temple)

Road side view; I can't ID this palm: Livistona? Sabal?

younger palm...

[Xenon]

Sabal mauritiiformis

Love your pics!

[paulgila]

i doubt that there would be a sabal of any kind in that area unless its a botanical garden. trunk looks kinda thin,anyways,imho.

[doranakandawatta]

Paul,

You're right but it happens that I have seen non indigenous species planted in the country-side and Sabal mauritiiformis can be found in villager's garden.
How came this palm in the field, I don't know ...

I hope my pics show enough details so some expert can identify the palm...

[paulgila]

if its just growing in a field with no homes around then i suspect its even LESS likely to be something non-indigenous.

just my opinion,however.

[doranakandawatta]

Yes Yes, it's why I was surprised when I saw this bluish leaves young palm 50 m from the oldest, lost in the weeds (sadly we couldn't reach the plant, I was afraid about snakes and others ...)

Seeing the leaves and fruits, what would you guess? Any common Livistona (non-indigenous in SL) ?

[paulgila]

the infructescence does kinda look like sabal.

I dunno.

[Zeeth]

It's S. mauritiiformis for sure.

[doranakandawatta]

If it is a Sabal mauritiiformis,

1. it is a very beautiful specimen

2. his story is a mystery ... how it landed here in the field? I would like to know...

but I have seen many small S. mauritiiformis in small plant nurseries in the country....( where are the parents? ... I don't know!)

I have been impressed many times in Sri Lanka, seeing quite rare palm species on the roadside which the owners didn't know the name or how they got it (or didn't wish to tell...)

like: Rhopaloblaste, Oenocarpus (I know one in Peradeniya, many seeds on the floor!), Actinorhytis (not in Peradeniya...)

In a country where the nursery industry doesn't exist, it's a wonder that we can see such species.

I'll go back to the palm and check closer!

Srilankan PRA could be a nice "palm-hunting" in countryside!